When most people outside of the tech sector, Gen Y or Millennials think of a blogger, the unfortunate image of a socially awkward Dungeons and Dragons aficionado planted in front of a computer screen with little more than Mountain Dew and Doritos as sustenance is the first thing to come to mind. However in recent years as "New Media" has taken greater hold and many blogs have gone from a journal-like hobby to a legitimate source for breaking news and ultimately revenue generation, the blogger has also become more mainstream and, dare I say, even cool.

At Balihoo, we help businesses better connect with local audiences through more relevant local advertising and marketing ideas. One of our finest clients, as a colleague so eloquently described last week, is Nobel Biocare and their network of dental healthcare providers. Nobel wanted to partner with Balihoo for our stable of marketing software tools and local advertising experience. One question that often comes up when speaking with Nobel practices is "how can my practice better leverage social media and local internet marketing?" Certainly a Facebook page and a Twitter account is a good (and free) place to start but as I've been paying more and more attention to the dental industry, and more specifically the dental implant community, it's becoming clearer and clearer that a practice blog is more imperative than ever.

One of the biggest challenges we run into when developing a local advertising and media buying strategy for a dental specialist is how do we effectively educate the consumer about dental implants and the accompanying procedures. The short answer is it's difficult to do in a 30-second TV spot, radio ad, billboard, or direct mailer. However, an up to date and relevant blog can provide those answers, unique to each practice, in one easy to access forum.

A dental blog gives your practice an opportunity to speak directly to the consumer in a controlled environment and tell them what's unique about your practice, your procedures, and overall experience. A quality and informative blog will ideally drive more traffic to your door by answering qualified consumers questions and spurring them to come in and meet with you.

There are a lot of questions surrounding a dental implant procedure. How much does it cost? Will my insurance cover it? What's the process like? Is it painful? Just as you would take great care to answer these questions with a patient in the chair, your blog will give you the same opportunity to speak to all those consumers looking to learn more before spending time on a consultation in your office. I suggest posting something relevant once a week. Be creative and involve everyone in the practice. Blog about changes or improvements to your office, interesting new procedures, successful patient experiences along with the more standard general information like insurance, FAQ's or procedural expectations.

Local marketing and advertising is all about connecting with nearby consumers in a unique and individualized fashion. It's about relating to their interests, communicating that you care about what's important to them, and treating each relationship with importance of the one-on-one interaction that it is. When looking for new and better local internet marketing ideas, a blog is a great way to make that connection and provide local consumers with the information they need to make an educated decision.